Amusement device



Nov. 1, 1938. I M. H. KELLY 2,135,082

' AMLfsEMENT DEVICE Filed July 28, 1957 3nvento'r mm? A x /g/ PatentedNov. 1, 1938.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

AMUSEMENT DEVICE H Martin 11. Kelly, Chatcolet, Idaho Application July28, 1937, Serial No. 156,195

" 5 Claims, (01172-32) This invention relates to an amusement device,and one object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracteradaptedto be set up in a naturally or artificially formed bodyof water such as a lake orpool and including a buoyant body mounted toturn about a vertically disposed axis and having propelling meansadapted to be operated by persons occupying opposite end portions of thebody.

Another object of the invention is to provide the body with propellingmeans of such construction that they may be individually operated byoccupants of the end portions of the body who may cooperate with eachother to cause the body to swing about its vertical axis at a high rateof speed or vie with each other in an endeavor to control the directionin which the body turns about its pivotal mounting- It will thus be seenthat a great deal of amusement can be obtained by the persons operatingthe device as well as exercise. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide the device with operatingmeans consisting of drums carrying paddles andmounted in such positionthat the drums may have rotary motion imparted to them by personsstanding upon them and operating the drums with their feet, handholdsbeing provided to assist the operators in maintaining their balancewhile turning the drums with their feet. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide handholds consisting ofhandle bars so mounted that they may be adjusted according to thedirection in which it is desired to turn the drums.

Another object of the invention is to provide housings or shields somounted that the portions of the drums carrying paddles will be enclosedabove the body and danger of injuries to the operators avoided.

Another object of the invention is to limit downward movement of thebody upon its pivot pin and thus maintain it in its proper relation tothe surface of the water.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein IFigure 1 is a perspective view of the buoyant body or float, togetherwith the propelling means.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken 7 along the line 22 ofFigure 1 and showing the buoyant body mounted upon the underwater Figure4 is an enlarged fragmentary .view of one of the handles.

Thebuoyant body or float l of this amusement device consists of a boardwhich may be of any desired length, width, and thickness and isreinforced by transversely extending cross bars 2 secured against itsunder face. In order to mount the board for swinging movement about avertical axis, there has been provided an underwater support consisting.of a standard 3 V in the form of a piling or post which is drivenstandard and about this pin fits a sleeve 5 which is loose to turn aboutthe pin and is secured through an opening 6 formed'in the board I bysuitable fasteners passed through a flange or collar 1 carried by thesleeve. By properly pro- I portioning the height of the standard, theboard will be disposed adjacent the surface of the water, as shown inFigure 2, and turn easily about the pin 4. By having the board pivotallymounted midway its length, two people can occupy the board with onestanding upon each end portion thereof, and since the sleeve 5 restsuponthe upper end ofthe standard and the board is secured to the collar 1,the board will be maintained substantially 'level and prevented fromtilting. longitudinally if the occupants of the two end portions of theboard are not of approximately the same weight.

. The board is to be swung about the stem which constitutes a verticalaxis for the board, and in order to do so there have been providedpropellers, one of which is carried by each end portion of the board.Each of the-propellers consists of a rotatable tread member havingtheform of a drum 8 which may be formed of metal or any desired materialand is air tight so that it will'be buoyant and easy to turn in thebearings 9 mounted at opposite ends of the opening I 0 formed in theboard and through which the drum extends when it is set in place withits stub axles ll mounted in the bearings. Each drum extendssubstantially the full length of the opening l0 through which itoperates and its 'end portions carry paddles l2 which are rigidlymounted and project radially from the drum, as shown in Figure 3.Referring to Figure 2 it will be readily seen that when the drums arerotated the paddles will act upon the water under the float or board andswinging movement will be imparted to the board so that the board willbe caused to turn about the pin 4. In view of the fact that the paddlesare carried by end portions of the drums, the intermediate portions ofthe drums will be unobstructed and a person may stand upon a drum andimpart rotary motion to the same with his feet. This is diflicult toaccomplish as the drums are rotatably mounted and a person attempting tostand upon a drum and turn it with his feet will be liable to lose hisbalance. Hoods l3, which are formed of metal and secured upon the boardby base flanges or in any other desired manner, enclose the end portionsof the drums and the paddles extending therefrom above the board andserve to prevent danger of injury by a person's foot being caught andcut by the rapidly moving paddles as the drums rotate.

In order to make it easier for the operators of the device to stand uponthe drums and operate them with their feet, there have been providedhandholds, each of which consists of standards 14 which are disposedvertically at opposite ends of. the drums against outer sides of thehoods or shields l3 and are firmly mounted at their lower ends betweenthe bearings 9 and the hoods, the upper ends of the standards beingpivoted to lower ends of arms l5 extending from ends of a handle bar 6.The handle bars will be disposed as shown in Figure 1 when the twooperators are turning the drums in the same direction for impartingswinging movement to the board but when each is attempting to turn theboard in a direction opposite to the other and make it a competitivetest of strength and skill, one handlebar will be turned to extend in anopposite direction, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 4.'

Pins I! project from the standards to engage the arms [5 and limitswinging movement of the arms about their pivots l8. It will thus beseen that the two operators may cooperate with each other for impartingswinging movement to the board at high speed or they may compete witheach other in their endeavorSito impart swinging movement to the board.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: a

1. A device of the character described comprising a buoyant body'mounted to turn about a vertical axis andprovided with openings atopposite sides of the mounting,-tread members rotatably mounted in theopenings and provided with paddles operating through the openings, andhandholds adapted to be grasped by persons standing upon the treadmembers and imparting rotary motion thereto with their feet.

2. A device of the character described comprising a buoyant body mountedto turn about a vertical axis, rotary tread members carried by said bodyat opposite sides of the mounting and mounted to turn about axesdisposed diametrically of the axis of the body, and paddles extendingoutwardly from said tread members for acting upon water to impartmovement to the body about its axis.

3. A device of the character described comprising an underwater supportincluding an upstanding pin, a board formed with an opening midway itslength, said pin being engaged through said opening and mounting theboard for swinging movement about the pin, openings being formed in endportions of the board, drums rotatably mounted and extending through theopenings,

paddles radiating from end portions of said drums, and handholds risingfrom the board adjacent the drums.

4. A device of the character described comprising an underwater supportincluding an upstanding pin-aboard formed with an opening midway itslength, said pin being engaged through said opening and mounting theboard for swinging movement about the pin, openings being formed in endportions of the-board, bearings rising from said board at opposite endsof the openings, drums over the board having axles journaled in thebearings, saiddrums extending downwardly through the openings and beingprovided with paddles extending radially from their end portions foracting upon water and imparting movement to the board when the drums arerotated, and hood-s above the board in shielding relation to the endportions of the hoods and the paddles carried thereby.

5. A device of the character described comprising an underwater supportincluding an upstanding pin, a board formed with an opening midway itslength, said pin being engaged through said opening and .mounting theboard for swinging movement about the pin, openings being formed in endportions of the board, bearings rising from said board at opposite endsof the openings, drums over the board having axles journaled in thebearings, said drums extending downwardly through the openings and beingprovided with paddles extendingradially from their end portionsforacting upon water and imparting movement to the board when the drums arerotated, hoods extending transversely of the drums and mounted upon theboard in enclosing relation to upwardly projecting end portions of thedrums .and serving as shields for the paddles, standards pivoted to theboard at outer sides of the hoods, and handles extending longitudinallyof. the drums and having side bars pivoted to upper. ends of thestandards.

.MAR'I'IN H. KELLY.

